Cartoon Network Studios/HBO Max
Warner Bros. Discovery is on a killing spree of late. The mega-company is putting to pasture several scripted shows across its zillion networks, from the last-minute axing of TBS’ Chad, to the cliffhanger-inducing murder of HBO Max’s Made For Love, to nixing an entire streaming service. (Rest in peace, CNN+. We hardly knew ye.)
Two of my favorite shows, heartbreakingly, have also been caught in the crosshairs. Adult Swim canceled the life-affirming comedy Joe Pera Talks With You earlier this month, after three seasons. And as of last week, Close Enough, the HBO Max animated comedy from the creator of Cartoon Network’s Regular Show, is over too, also after a three-season run.
I mourned Talks With You, and now it’s Close Enough’s turn. There are few contemporary animated shows that came out the gate with such a strongly defined sense of humor, aesthetic, and cast of characters as this one. Every 11-minute episode managed to escalate from the mundane to the absolutely surreal, the animation following suit with surprising visual references and gags.